Wanted: '88 505 Offside suspension leg

[delphius]

Hi, just found this forum while cruising to find a part for our "bus".

I need an offside suspension leg for a 1988 505 GR estate. The spring seat on ours is rusting through badly. I went to do the shocks and got one myself!

Anyhow, I'm near Oxford.

Or alternatively, anyone with ideas on how to repair. Does anyone do a replacement spring seat that can be welded onto the leg?

[Admin]

Hello and welcome!

For new obviously try Dean at www,peugeotparts.co.uk

Also try CPUK member Mick Huntlry on 01268 561214 ([e-mail]0 as he deals in a lot of spares. There is also a specialist peugeot breakers in Tetbury, Glos -

[504gld]

I think new is going to be rather expensive, you should find the odd 505 wagon still in breakers yards as they are quite a number still on the road. You dont say where you are, but I do recall seeing a couple in the Cane Hill scrap yard in Devizes. You could of course use part finder.

[delphius]

Thanks for the contact numbers, I'll get on to them in the morning...

Yes, a brand new leg is expensive, I checked with the local dealers. At least they still stock it! Last year I needed a seatbelt for the MOT and found that Peugeot don't hold them any more!

I've tried all the online breakers, but my email inbox is significantly empty . That's the problem with vast numbers of secondhand 505s being shipped out to Africa... they aren't exactly cluttering up the breakers yards!

I'm in Oxford, so Devizes isn't too far a haul. I've been to Bristol before now to get the seals on the PAS Pinion valve refurbished (fraction of the cost of a new complete rack).

Thanks for the replies.

Mark.

[delphius]

Well, it seems I'm drawing a blank everywhere. Not having much luck at all.

I've tried all the partfinder web sites I can, but nothing found.

I've tried Mick Huntly, but I guess that email adress is wrong as it comes back invalid.

I can't afford a new suspension leg, it's virtually as much as the cars worth!

I've found the number for Caen Hill Breakers in Devizes, I'll give them a call in the morning: fingers crossed!

If only they were popular in the U.S.... the exchange rate is so favourable at the moment..

I used to use a guy at Pangbourne, but the last time I went, he'd closed down the breaking side of the business and just exported them...

It's a 17 year old car and it's like getting parts for a classic already!

Mark.

[Admin]

Strangely, the 505 WAS quite popular in the states (for a Peugeot).

You could try ebay us, or give this guy a mail at a US 505 site, they must have developed a good parts network.
[e-mail]

I would also try a few french sites if your language skills are up to it!

The Peugeot breakers in Tetbury are

Tigworths
Tewkesbury Rd, Twigworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 9PX
Tel: [phone]

[504gld]

Also try RJ Grimes 0208 668 1455

or Parts 4 Peugeot 01895 90 70 50

not sure which search service you used but try

www.mvda.co.uk/index.htm

[delphius]

Thanks for the info, I eventually got one from Jones' Breakers over at Caen Hill, Devizes. Took me and hour and a half to get it off (thanks to the 505 being at the bottom of a 3-car pile), but at least I got one!

Big thanks to everyone for your help, especially 504gld for the heads up about Jones'

And it was about the tenth of the price of a new one from a dealer, which is pleasing...

So tomorrow I shall be cleaning both front legs up, giving them a coat of hammerite and fitting new shocks and bearings. Then on Monday I'll go to work for a rest...

Mark.

[delphius]

I do not believe my luck.... do not get lottery numbers off me.

I was cleaning the leg up yesterday, everything appeared fine. Started to work on the bottom ball joint and a big cob of rust fell out of the spring seat, just under where the end of the spring sits! I mean, it looked fine even after being wire brushed, but it looks like the metal of the seat has seperated into layers and rusted under the surface.

I've just been to see my local MOT man and he says it can't be welded either as it's not supposed to be a repairable component.

So, after all the effort at the weekend I'm back to square one, except a bit poorer.

I'm emailing all the places that sell new suspension legs, hopefully to get one cheaper than dealers. If I can't, then it looks like the cars off to the scrappy.... I just can't afford a new leg from a dealer (£278) plus any work that'll be needed for MOT. It's more than the car is worth.

Maybe there's a business opportunity in refurbishing old Peugeot suspension legs...

[Admin]

The last but one issue of the club magazine had two 505's going free to a good home. They might still be available. You could use one (or both) for spares!! I can PM the details to you if you want.

[504gld]

I'm off to spray waxoyl in my spring seats now! sorry to hear of the problems :-(

[mikem]

Mark,

Take it and get it welded somewhere (by someone who knows what he's doing, and insist on it being STRONG), refit it, and take it for it's MOT elsewhere. By the way, what's the other side like?

Mike.

[delphius]

Ta for the help as ever guys.

A complete car is out of the question: I've got no means of transporting it and nowhere to store it while it's being taken apart...

The MOT tester said if it was welded it'd be a straight fail anywhere. It's a suspension component that's not supposed to be repaired. I guess if someone did replacement spring seats that would be diferent: you could grind the old seat off and weld a new one on and it'd be just like the original part.
If I did get a plate welded in, it'd have to be an invisible repair, so it'd have to be flush with the existing metal and the welds ground down smooth. None of the garages I've used in the past locally have been able to weld that well... ;D
Anyone know of any garages near Bicester in Oxfordshire that are up to the job?

I must learn to weld some day. It's the only thing I haven't done to a car, apart from rebuild engine bottom ends and gearboxes. If only I could get a (very) cheap welder off ebay!!

I'm resigned to the fact that the car will be off the road while we save up for a brand new leg. The nearside leg was fine (touches wood) with only flaky paint on it. I guess it was replaced before we got the car. It'll be getting cleaned up and repainted though.

The legs seem to be a weak spot on the 505 though, I had a saloon back in the early nineties and that failed its MOT for the same reason. Both legs were rooted then so it took a trip to the scrappy.. I do have a soft spot for the 505.. I prefer the early interiors to the later ones though.

Mark.

[504gld]

I know this was a while back, but some legs have cropped up dirt cheap on ebay.

search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZjanandseansbits